Belly fat is affected by your vitamin D levels

(NaturalHealth365) Did you know that the cost of healthcare increases – every year – by 5% in men and 3% in women for every inch of belly fat?  In fact, according to a Danish study, women with over 37 inches around their waist are likely to pay way more money compared to women with an ideal waistline. (of course, men should be concerned as well.)

Unfortunately, most people are never told (by their doctor) that unwanted belly fat is an indicator of a vitamin D deficiency.  This one risk factor clearly comes with huge financial (and physical health) risk.  After reading this quick report, you’ll certainly have an incentive to take action.

This is a serious health concern: people carrying around too much belly fat are in real danger because fat cells fuel the growth of cancer cells.  You see, fat cells produce leptin and adiponectin, the two culprits causing so many deaths today by reducing the efficiency of cancer treatment.

Research shows that low vitamin D levels are linked to unwanted belly fat

You are probably aware that vitamin D deficiency is bad news for bone health, and additionally expose you to risks such as obesity, cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  But, what you might not know is that the bigger your belly is, the higher the chances that you have low vitamin D levels.

These new findings were presented in Barcelona during the European Society of Endocrinology annual meeting.  So, the word is getting out.  We just have to encourage doctors to study the medical literature.

Scientists from the Leiden University Medical Center and VU University Medical Center examined total body fat and belly fat amongst subjects of a previous research. After parameters such as exercise levels, beer consumption and chronic diseases were factored in, the researchers noted that abdominal and total fat were connected to low amounts of vitamin D in women.

And, by the way, low vitamin D levels were associated with increased liver and belly fat in men as well.

Action step: Time to up your vitamin D levels

You might be surprised to learn that a whopping 1 billion people are vitamin D deficient around the world – check out the full report here.  Most integrative healthcare providers say the first step is to get tested.

Simple and inexpensive: it’s always a good idea to know what your vitamin D levels are (with a blood test).  If you are below 30 ng/ml – which many people are – you may want to consider supplementation to get your levels up.

Obviously, the best way to increase your vitamin D levels is with about 20 minutes of full body exposure to the sun.  The problem is: most people live at elevated latitudes – above 30 degrees from the equator.  This higher latitude makes the angle of the sun weaker and, very often as a result, doesn’t offer enough ‘direct’ sunlight to generate a desired outcome.

That’s why so many integrative healthcare providers recommend a supplement to increase vitamin D levels in the body.

Another important point: According to a Harvard Medical School report, sunscreen causes a drop in vitamin D levels because of how it blocks UV light.  Leaving some areas exposed is recommended as this will ensure that you get the most out of the vitamin D supplement and natural sunlight combination.

Bottom line: if you suspect that your vitamin D levels are low – get tested today and talk to your doctor about a plan of action that gets results.

Editor’s note: The NaturalHealth365 Store offers the highest quality vitamin D supplements on the market.  Click here to shop now.

Sources for this article include:

Karger.com
Ese-hormones.org
Harvard.edu
NIH.gov
NIH.gov